Friday, May 11, 2012

A letter to my daughter.....

Now it is my daughter's turn for words of advice from her oh-so-wise mama.  I have mentioned to you guys before about how wonderful it is to have a girl squeezed in between her 2 brothers...a nice breather from all the rough housing and destruction.  She loves a good rom-com and is a total crafty pants which I am a teensy bit jealous of.  She also is a girl after my own heart because one of her fave movies would be Pretty in Pink (albeit we skip through the raunchy parts that 80's movies deem PG 13 material)and her favorite guy in the movie?  Duckie, of course!  We love to jam to Otis Redding in the car....her main reason is because of Duckie's lip syncing scene in the movie. 
She also loves to spend time with her grandparents and could spend hours in Hobby Lobby.  I'm pretty sure she might be a Golden Girl in a 10 year old's body and I love that.
Celebrating my kids on Mother's Day comes pretty natural....they did make me a mom.  I could not possibly be more grateful than I already am for these crazy little monkeys.  They have flipped my world upside down and created a person who did not exist before. 
My girl was the biggest of my babes...weighing at a fighting weight of almost 9 lbs 2 oz.  She was the chubbiest baby I had ever seen and the little crochet beanie they had on her head looked like it might pop off and fly across the room.  She had rolls for days.  Simpler times, for sure. 



That's my tenacious 11 year old right there....a beautiful, strong willed, caring, thoughtful, tough chick who makes me heart smile.


My letter to you, my nutty girl.....

There are so many things I want you to know and plenty of years to tell you...yet I worry it will all go too fast.  Take these tidbits with you and keep them somewhere hidden in your brain...pull them out like you would random song lyrics and names of has been celebrities...knowledge that comes in handy at certain times. 

  1. Stay creative.  Continue to draw, craft and design to your heart's content.  This will keep your fingers nimble, your mind engaged and your soul happy.
  2. Pray. Whenever, where ever, how ever you please.  Take the time to send any gratitude, any problems, any worries or anxieties straight up to the Big Guy.....He will lessen your problems by casting light on the things that matter, the issues at heart or the people He is guiding you towards.
  3. Sing and laugh as loud as you please!  Singing is one of those things that I always say is good for the soul. Embrace that voice and project it....always laugh your REAL laugh...no fake laughers allowed!  You have that laugh for a reason, don't quiet it down or make it "cuter" for some one else's benefit.
  4. Dance like there's no tomorrow.  Shake it, don't break it....
  5. Keep your childhood curiosities alive!  I will always have a picture of you captured in my mind...your blond hair in a tiny ponytail, curled up on it's own accord...white slip with a petticoat, pink kitty cat rain boots, and a dirt mustache.  You would wear princess costumes and play in the mud. You collected rolie polie's and tried to sell them to the neighbor, you would streak across the yard in your panties, and put lizards in your own hair. 
  6. Remember that no man will ever measure up to your Daddy.  But don't expect him to.  DO expect him to treat you as good as your Daddy treats me.  Any less? Adios amigo.
  7. Keep trying new things.  Soccer was something you said "buh-bye" to when you were 5, picking your nails in the middle of the field didn't seem like something you wanted to continue another season, but you tried again this past fall and...you rocked! You tried out every position you could and did the best you could each time. Proud is an understatement.
  8. Keep enjoying your grandparents.  Not many 10 year old girl's would rather be with her grandparents on a weekend instead of finding something to do with people their own age.  Believe me, you make them as a happy as they do you.
  9. It's okay to not want to be around a lot of people.  You do not have to be the life of the party....but at least go to the party.  Get out of that box every once in a while and experience people. 
  10. Love yourself first. I have always told you how different we all are and different is beautiful. There is not a magic number or a perfect size...there is only the skin you feel comfortable in.
  11. Buy a dress that will last through the years.  Classic is gorgeous. You can own trendy but spend money on classic pieces. A line skirts. Nautical stripes.  Good jeans.  A great cardigan. Cashmere sweater.  Shirt dress.  A pair of brown boots. 
  12. Do not ever cut your hair while going through a break up, having PMS, or pregnant. You will regret it. I promise.
  13. Don't wax your eyebrows or over pluck them.  Keep an arch but don't try to imitate a look of surprise...it just looks silly.
  14. Lip balm is your friend. EOS and Burt's Bees. Done.
  15. Don't ever start wearing foundation.  If you start, you will never be able to stop.  Your skin will thank you.  Keep it simple; mascara, blush, concealer, eyeshadow, lipstick...all you need.
  16. Do wash your face.  Olay and Neutrogena are wonderful choices. 
  17. Don't dye your hair. 
  18. Zits.....toothpaste really does dry them out. So does Burt's Bees Herbal Blemish Stick. 
  19. Enjoy being a kid for as long as you possibly can. Ride your bike, play Barbies, play with your dolls, get dirty.....there is plenty of time to be a grown up but once you're there, there is no going back. 
  20. Keep your brothers close.  Know that they will always be there for you...and they will beat the living mess out of any boy who wrongs you.  They will be your closest allies, your confidants, and your enemies all at some time in your life...and you wouldn't be the same without them.
  21. Always have at least one best girl friend that you can depend on.  Everyone should have that one person who knows the craziest, grossest, most amazing, most useless things about you and loves you for it all.  You will never regret the girl time you have, the chick flicks, the raw cookie dough eating, the incessant talk about boys....
  22. Don't be a follower.  Lead the parade, girlfriend!  Be the kind of girl that people can lean on, talk to and be confident that everything they say isn't going to anyone else. 
  23. There will always...I mean always be a group of mean girls at school.  Look the girls straight in the eye and....smile.  Do not ever be in a group of mean girls.  It will get you nowhere fast, I promise.  So after you smile at them, move along to your own group of friend that find it more important to lift others up rather than knock them down.
  24. Girls should stick together.  I'm really reiterating the point here, don't tear girls down to make yourself look or feel better. And don't ever let someone do that to you. 
  25. Stand up for yourself.  Let your values, morals and principles be known.  Have no regrets for your personality, your thoughts or your views. 
  26. Keep an open mind and an open heart.  We have always prayed this over you guys every night....I want you to remember that.  Open minds and hearts are what makes the world go 'round.
  27. Be passionate.
  28. Boys: 
a. expect to be treated like a lady and they will treat you like one.
b. put up with nothing less than the utmost respect.
c. treat boys with the same respect.
d. don't ask the boy out.
e. never change the way you speak, laugh, dress, or the people you hang out with for a dude.
f. you will have your heart broken. know that you will survive. 
g. Be the apple at the top of the tree.
h. watch what you say, do, text, post or share.  Boys tend to brag about things...true or made up.  You do NOT want to be the subject of any locker room talk.

29.  Never forget how much I love and adore you.  You will always be my girl.  You are the toughest little chick I know and I appreciate your self reliance and your maturity....I also will never forget the little girl who would hide behind my legs to avoid any personal contact with the "outside world".  You have been my breath of fresh air, my mirror, my strength, my source of crazy, my partner in shopping and pedicures.  You also know how to treat a lady to a home spa day like no other.  I miss your shubby little sheekies and your baby fine hair I would have to put mini barrettes in to keep out of your face.  I miss that chunky little 6 month old baby that was squeezed into the bassinet because I couldn't bear for you to be in another room.  I look forward to the young lady you are turning into...the tenacity and the helpful attitude are only sneak peeks at the maturity you have in store.  You are the most affectionate and loving girl I know and I love you more than any words could ever express.

1 comment:

  1. Another beautiful letter! I have one daughter wedged in between two boys as well. I can relate to so much of what you wrote. Such lovely advice. What a great mom you are! I hope you had a wonderful Mother's day!

    ReplyDelete

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